1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system, an information service system, and an information service server. Particularly, the present invention relates to a printing system which, in order to form an image, uses an image forming cartridge attached to a printer to be exchangeable by a user as a consumable item and which incorporates a storage medium having a storage area where information is writable/readable thereto/therefrom. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an information service system and an information service server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, on this kind of printing system, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-190138, there was mounted a storage medium having a storage area where arbitrary information, which a user inputted from a control panel with a display provided in the main body of an image forming apparatus, was writable and readable. Then, personal information of the user such as start time of use, owner""s name, purpose of use and the like were stored in the storage medium. Moreover, by operating the control panel with a display, the content of information was outputted onto the display of the control panel with a display in the form of a character string or a numerical value. Still moreover, the user arbitrarily input/output control setting information of the image forming apparatus to/from the storage medium mounted on the image forming cartridge, and performed such control that the control condition of the apparatus was changed based on the control setting information when the image forming cartridge was attached.
However, in the conventional printing system, the user had to write information onto the storage medium by the input from the control panel with a display provided to the main body of the image forming apparatus and this required much time and effort.
While, in recent years, a printer manufacturer manages a home page that provides service of useful information for a print user on the Internet, the user gains access to the home page via the Internet so as to collect information for high quality printing.
However, in the information service using the home page, it takes much time and effort of the user to visit the home page and collect information, and recognition of a home page, which provides information for high quality printing, is low. Under the present situation, this information service does not always succeed.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing system, which facilitates access to a home page that provides various useful information from a printer manufacturer to a user, who has purchased not only a printer but also a genuine product of a consumable item, an image forming cartridge, an information service system, and an information service server.
The printing system of the present invention includes an image forming cartridge having a nonvolatile memory that stores access information for gaining access to a home page, which provides information about an image forming cartridge and a printing apparatus using the image forming cartridge, and identification information for identifying the image forming cartridge; identifying means for identifying the image forming cartridge as a genuine product based on the identification information; and access means for gaining access to the home page, which is connected to an information service server that manages the home page via a network based on the access information when the image forming cartridge is identified as a genuine product.
According to the present invention, it is possible for a user, who has purchased a genuine product, to gain access to the home page, which provides service of useful information, easily without having to perform complicated operations loaded so far.
Moreover, control information for high-quality printing with an image forming cartridge of a genuine product can be distributed to the printing system. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the amount of processing such as complaints from users and the like.
Still moreover, the home page, which provides service of useful information, can be widely known to the users.